Go-Mart
Encyclopedia
Go-Mart, Inc. is a convenience store
chain based out of Gassaway, West Virginia
. The company currently operates 100 stores in most of the state of West Virginia
, and border areas of Virginia
, Kentucky
, and Ohio
. Some Go-Marts use Shell
gasoline, while others are unbranded.
Go-Mart's main rivals include Speedway SuperAmerica
, Sheetz
, Exxon
, Chevron
, BP
, Citgo
, and 7-Eleven
.
.
By the early 1920s the Heater brothers were operating bulk plants along railroad lines, and following the Great Depression
and the death of Charles Heater, Fred Heater decided to centralize the business in Gassaway, where it is headquartered today. In the early 1960s, Fred Heater's health was failing and he sold the business to his sons, John, William and James.
When self-service gasoline pumps were legalized in West Virginia in 1970, the Heaters built the state's first self-service gas station, in Shinnston
, and called it "Go-Tron." Six months later they rebuilt their Gassaway store into their first convenience food and gas store and Manager Karen Sattler named it "Go-Mart,"
By 1977, Go-Mart had 16 stores. Originally it used Chevron branding, as Chevron did not do business in the area, although it sourced its gasoline privately. When Cheveron moved in to the area as a part of the collapse of Gulf Oil
, it switched to unbranded products, and later converted some stations to Shell. The company now employes approximately 1,200 people and is the state's 41st largest private employer.http://www.csnews.com/csn/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003188288
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
chain based out of Gassaway, West Virginia
Gassaway, West Virginia
Gassaway is a town in Braxton County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 901 at the 2000 census. Gassaway was incorporated in 1905 and named for Henry Gassaway Davis...
. The company currently operates 100 stores in most of the state of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and border areas of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Some Go-Marts use Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
gasoline, while others are unbranded.
Go-Mart's main rivals include Speedway SuperAmerica
Speedway SuperAmerica
Speedway LLC is the operator of a chain of combination gas stations and convenience stores in the Midwest and South of the United States operating under the Speedway brand name. Speedway LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Marathon Petroleum Company...
, Sheetz
Sheetz
Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
, Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
, Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
, BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
, Citgo
Citgo
CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a United States-incorporated, Venezuela-owned refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de...
, and 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
.
History
Go-Mart traces its history to 1914 when brothers Fred, Charles and Rod Heater, operating as the Heater Oil Co., began selling axle grease, kerosene and other petroleum products to farms and businesses in central West Virginia, using flat-bottomed boats on the Little Kanawha RiverLittle Kanawha River
The Little Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, 169 mi long, in western West Virginia in the United States. Via the Ohio, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 2,320 mi² on the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau...
.
By the early 1920s the Heater brothers were operating bulk plants along railroad lines, and following the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and the death of Charles Heater, Fred Heater decided to centralize the business in Gassaway, where it is headquartered today. In the early 1960s, Fred Heater's health was failing and he sold the business to his sons, John, William and James.
When self-service gasoline pumps were legalized in West Virginia in 1970, the Heaters built the state's first self-service gas station, in Shinnston
Shinnston, West Virginia
Shinnston is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, along the West Fork River. The population was 2,295 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Shinnston is located at ....
, and called it "Go-Tron." Six months later they rebuilt their Gassaway store into their first convenience food and gas store and Manager Karen Sattler named it "Go-Mart,"
By 1977, Go-Mart had 16 stores. Originally it used Chevron branding, as Chevron did not do business in the area, although it sourced its gasoline privately. When Cheveron moved in to the area as a part of the collapse of Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
, it switched to unbranded products, and later converted some stations to Shell. The company now employes approximately 1,200 people and is the state's 41st largest private employer.http://www.csnews.com/csn/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003188288